Copy sheet proofing system

Abstract

A sheet proofing mechanism for a printing, duplicating and like machine wherein sheets are delivered seriatim by a conveyor in a path over a receiving tray whereat the sheets drop onto a stack of sheets in the tray. Releasable gripping fingers are provided on the conveyor, and stripping fingers strip each released sheet from the conveyor and direct the sheet into the tray. A sheet proofing mechanism includes deflecting fingers spaced along the path from the stripping fingers for deflecting a released sheet from the conveyor to a proofing station. A tripping cam is provided along the path for selectively releasing the gripping fingers at a first point to allow the stripping fingers to strip the released sheet from the conveyor and at a second point to allow the deflecting fingers to deflect the released sheet to the proofing station. The machine also includes a numbering head for sequentially numbering the sheets, with an indexing lever for indexing the numbering head. The proofing mechanism includes an interrupter for preventing operation of the indexing lever whereby a given sheet will not be sequentially numbered and such that the given sheet can be selectively deflected to the proofing station without interrupting the remaining order of sequential numbering.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a printing, duplicating and like machine wherein sheets are delivered seriatim by conveyor means from a printing couple in a path over a receiving tray whereat the sheets drop onto a stack of sheets in the tray, with releasable sheet gripping means on and movable with the conveyor means for gripping and selectively releasing the sheets, and stripping means located along the path of movement of the conveyor means for stripping each released sheet from the conveyor means and directing the sheet into the tray, a sheet proofing mechanism, comprising: deflecting means along said path spaced from the stripping means for deflecting a released sheet from the conveyor means to a proofing station, including at least one deflecting finger movable mounted on the machine for movement in response to jamming of multiple sheets thereagainst;   first switch means operatively associated with the deflecting finger for actuation in response to movement of the deflecting finger to deactivate the machine;   a safety rod movably mounted on the machine laterally across said path above said deflecting means for movement in response to a stray sheet jamming against the rod; and   second switch means operatively associated with the safety rod for actuation in response to movement of the safety rod to deactivate the machine.   
     
     
       2. The sheet proofing mechanism of claim 1 including tripping means at a predetermined location along said path remote from the printing couple and operatively associated with the gripping means for selectively performing one of the dual functions of engaging the gripping means at a first point along the path of movement of the conveyor means to release a sheet from the gripping means and allow the stripping means to strip the released sheet from the conveyor means and direct the sheet into the tray and engaging the gripping means at a second point along the path of movement of the conveyor means to release a sheet from the gripping means and allow the deflecting means to deflect the released sheet to the proofing station. 
     
     
       3. The sheet proofing mechanism of claim 2 wherein said machine includes a numbering head for sequentially numbering the sheets, with indexing means for indexing the numbering head, and the proofing mechanism includes interruption means for preventing operation of the indexing means whereby a given sheet will not be sequentially numbered and such that the given sheet can be selectively deflected to the proofing station by the tripping means without interrupting the remaining order of sequential numbering.